Israeli forces detain 30 Palestinians in widespread West Bank raids

RAMALLAH (Ma’an) -- Israeli forces detained some 30 Palestinians in multiple predawn raids on Tuesday across the occupied West Bank, amid violent confrontation between Palestinians and Israeli forces overnight in separate incidents that left a 15-year-old innocent bystander dead, seven other Palestinians seriously injured, and three Israelis lightly wounded.

In the southern occupied West Bank district of Hebron, Israeli forces detained Yousif Samamra, 45, and Hamza al-Alami, 20, according to a statement released by the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS).

The statement said that four Palestinians were detained in the village of Beit Fajjar south of Bethlehem in the southern occupied West Bank.

They were identified as Ali Hasan Deriyya, 22, and his brother Isam, 21, in addition to two other brothers from the same extended family: Imad Muhammad Deriyya, 19, and Adel, 18.

An Israeli army spokesperson confirmed 12 total detentions had been made overnight, which included eight near Bethlehem.

In the central West Bank town of al-Eizariya east of Jerusalem, Israeli forces detained Abed Salah, Basim Salah, and Sadiq Salah, according to PPS.

To the north in the occupied West Bank district of Nablus, the statement added that Walid al-Adili, Mahdi Dweikat, and Abd al-Raouf Dweikat were detained during predawn raids, while Israeli forces also briefly held four other unidentified Palestinians.

In the village of Tamus northeast of Nablus, local sources told Ma’an Israeli forces detained Allan Bani Odeh and his son Mahmoud, as well as an unidentified 14-year-old boy.

The Israeli army spokesperson confirmed two detentions in the Nablus area.

Muhammad Barham, 21, and Muhammad Shtewei, 22, were detained from the northern West Bank district of Qalqiliya, according to PPS.

The statement added that in the Tubas district in the northern West Bank, Israeli forces detained three young men and released them shortly after.

Locals said that Sheikh Muhammad al-Saadi from the village of Attil north of Tulkarem was detained from al-Hadidiya village in the northern Jordan Valley.

In the district of Tulkarem, PPS said that Mahdi Fayyad and Muhammad al-Saadi were detained during a raid that sparked violent clashes between Israeli forces and local youth, that left three Palestinians seriously injured by live fire.

An Israeli army spokesperson confirmed the two detentions in Tulkarem.

Israeli forces also detained two Palestinians early Tuesday in connection to a suspected stone-throwing attack on Israeli settler vehicles west of Ramallah. Israeli forces responded to incident with heavy live fire, showering a nearby car with bullets, killing a 15-year-old Palestinian bystander and seriously injuring four others as they were driving home.